Congress has alleged that Uttarakhand has become a business centre for Gujarat contractors as the BJP government is preparing to sell more than 700 acres of land in Chopta Hills of the Kedar Valley where bypolls are scheduled to be held on November 20.

The Congress party claimed that all big government contracts in the state are being pocketed by Gujarati companies and businessmen.

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Congress MLA and party’s nominee for Kedarnath bypoll Manoj Rawat alleged that all major construction projects in Uttarakhand are being handed to contractors from Gujarat. He said if elected, he would raise the issue in the state assembly and seek answers from the state government for the reasons to dole out contracts to the firms and businessmen from Gujarat.

“All major construction contracts in Kedarnath and the Badrinath shrine areas and other parts of the state have been given to firms and contractors from Gujarat. Does that mean the Gujarat model BJP government has failed and contractors there are not having enough work? On the other hand, Uttarakhand contractors and skilled workers are not getting enough work in their own state,” he lamented.

Rawat added that after Mussoorie and Haridwar, the Uttrakhand government is planning to sell precious land in the Chopta hills of the Kedar Valley. “Chopta is the most beautiful and highly-priced land. The state government is planning to sell it to the people outside the state. It has already begun the process and deployed officials to create a conducive atmosphere for the smooth sale of more than 700 acres of land at Chopta. This is one of the finest and the most sought-after places for the bulk land buyers in the Himalayas for high-end tourism class,” said Manoj Rawat.

He asserted that the Congress party won’t let it happen and expose the nefarious design of the state government before the people. “We will hit the streets and block the state government’s move to sell off the Chopta hills matter will also be raised in the house. The BJP government which is earning goodwill with its claim to bring in state-centric land laws is not serious on this issue. Had they been serious about preventing outsiders from taking away state land in the hills, the land laws would have been in place by now,” added the Congress leader.

Chopta Hills lies in the Ukhimath block of the Kedarnath assembly seat in Rudraprayag district. Bypoll in Kedarnath will held on November 20 along with 10 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh in the last phase of Jharkhand and Maharashtra state elections.